In our home, growing up, Easy-Off and Bleach were the nullifiers before Koshering the kitchen. Every plate, utensil, appliance, table, counters and chairs was slathered with the stuff, making any crumb left behind (as if there could be any!) completely inedible and, therefore, nullified. Then came the boiling waters, heated rocks and blowtorches. And then, came out the special just-for-Pesach dishes and appliances, as the Koshered old ones got put away as Chametz.

OCD doesn’t come close to Pesach-mania in a Hungarian home. My mother remembers her mom whitewashing the outside walls of the home. Bukharian kids told me that back in Bukhara there was the same intensity – there were actually separate Pesach homes for some of them. C’mon, why the intensity, if you can just do a cursory sweep-out, wash, Kasher and enjoy approach? And the answer, my friend, is that the more you put into something, the more you get out of it.

The more time I spend on the cleaning of my home, the more I have to reflect about the inside, emotional cleaning I must do. The more I scour and nullify my cabinets and gadgets, the more I have to force myself to ask if I’ve nullified my pride and evil inclination. The more I slave away at trying to ensure my home is ready to accept G-d’s commandment of absolutely no Chametz, the more connected and crazy-with-love for G-d I will be.

So, my friends, yes, you can do it the easy way. Yet, the extra effort does deepen the experience. Trust me, as I wave my bleach-scented hands in emphasis.